History of Sandusky County Ohio with Illustrations 1882, Part 91

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USA > Ohio > Sandusky County > History of Sandusky County Ohio with Illustrations 1882 > Part 91

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Sandusky county is now (1881) divided among five circuits: Green Creek, Bay Shore, Clyde, Sandusky, and Eden, com-

prising eighteen societies in this county. Green Creek was detached from the old Sandusky in 1834, and lies mostly in Ball- ville township. It has five societies, three churches, and one parsonage. The United Brethren church and parsonage, at Green Spring, were built in 1871-72-73, under the direction of Rev. S. H. Raudabaugh. The Mt. Lebanon United Brethren church, two miles southeast of Fremont, was built in 1864. The first trustees were: Rev. M. Long, Rev. M. Bulger, Rev. N. Young, Anson Eldridge, and John Batzole. The society was formed by the union of the classes at the Batzole and Dawley school-houses. The superintendents of Mt. Lebanon Sabbath-school from 1864 to 1881 were: Rev. N. Young, Sidney Young, Charles Young, Rev. N. S. Long, Rev. B. M. Long, Jacob Burgner, J. W. Worst, and Hugh C. Smith.

The church at Hoover's Corners, or Hard Scrabble, which is used jointly by the United Brethren church and the Evangelical Association, was built by the latter about the year 1854.

A class of the United Brethren in Christ was formed of citizens living in the neigh- borhood of the mouth of Wolf Creek. It was organized as the "Clinger Class," April 20, 1860, Samuel Jacoby at that time being circuit preacher. The first members were: John and Catharine Sibberrel, Samuel and Anna Clinger, Rachel Turner, Jacob and John Ridgley, Lucinda, John, and Lucinda B. Hite, Mary Clinger, Jane Hudson, and Mary Mills. A meeting-house was built that year and the class became known as Wolf Creek congregation. It has a membership of about seventy, and has preaching service each alternate Sabbath. A summer Sunday-school has been maintained from the first, but in 1880-81 it was kept up with profit and interest throughout the year, winter as well as summer.

*Author of History of United Brethren Church.

Rev. Michael Long

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UNION CHURCH.

The citizens along the river about four miles south of Ballville felt the need of a more convenient place for holding religious services, and in 1868 contributed and built what is known as Union Chapel, for the use of all denominations. Rev. E. Bushnell, of Fremont, supplied the pulpit for a short time.

Rev. Mr. Willard, of Tiffin, organized a class according to the discipline of the German Reformed church in 1870, and held services in this house. Messrs. Kesselman and Smith have served since. Preaching is nut regularly maintained.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

REV. MICHAEL LONG.

The subject of this sketch is the son of Daniel and Margaret (Brill) Long, who were born in the State of Pennsylvania. Their son, Michael Long, was born May 3, 1814, in Guernsey county, Ohio. He was educated in attending the common schools of the neighborhood, and worked on a farm until he entered the ministry of the United Brethren church, in Sandusky, in the year 1835. He afterwards, on the 20th of April, 1837, married Sarah Gear, of the same county. Mr. Long had emigrated from Guernsey to Sandusky in the year 1834. Rev. Michael Long is still living with this wife, Sarah, by whom he has had five children yet living, namely: De-sire Angeline, who is married to Martin Mowrer, of Ballville township; Newton S., who married Carry C. Stahl, daughter of Jacob Stahl. (This son is laboring in the ministry at Osceola, Wyandot county, Ohio); Barzillai M., not married, a minister, now stationed at Galion, Ohio; Sarah Calista, now wife of Professor John Worst, superintendent of the schools at Elmore,

Ohio; M. DeWitt, who married Pauline C. McCahan, and is now principal of Roanoke Academy, Roanoke county, Indiana, and who is also an ordained minister of the United Brethren church.

Mr. Long has continually, since the commencement of his labors as a preacher, been in the service of the church, some- times as an itinerant preacher, sometimes on a station, and for a number of years as presiding elder.

Mr. Long's services in the United Brethren church are set forth in an address delivered at a ministerial association, held in Attica, Seneca county, Ohio, in 1879. We here give the address in full, which relates many hairbreadth escapes, and also most palpably illustrates his zeal in the work he was engaged in. He is endowed with remarkable physical powers, weighs near two hundred pounds, and his voice is remarkable for its strength and power to reach the outermost limits of the largest gathering at any camp meeting. The following anecdote is told by a friend who happened to live about three miles from where a camp-meeting was in progress several years ago. A stranger enquired of the man where the camp-meeting was, and what road to take to get there. The farmer told him to listen, and on being silent a moment, the voice of Michael Long in full exercise came through the woods. The stranger was told to follow the sound, and he would find the camp-meeting about three miles distant in that direction. If there ever was a harder worker for the church than Michael Long, he has not been found in this vicinity. And he is still at the same work, and, no doubt, will be while life and strength are given him to work. He lives on a farm about three miles southeast of Fremont, and is still a hearty, vigorous and courageous man. Read the address, and you may gather a faint idea from it of Mr.

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Long's labors in preaching the gospel. The address is as follows:

I recollect a little over forty years ago I joined the Sandusky annual conference, and I have not forgot-ten the way preachers were then taken into conference. There was not half the trouble getting into conference then that there is now. Those days are gone by, and I do not wish to speak of or recall them now. I well recollect when I started on my first circuit, which was four

hundred miles around numbering twenty-eight appointments. It took me four weeks to get around the circuit; there was not to my recollection one meeting- house in the entire conference; we preached, as a general thing, in private houses. The outline of my work was something after the following: Northeast three miles below Port Clinton, on the lake; southeast, near Bucyrus; southwest, on the Auglaize, twelve miles below Find-lay. The points alluded to were the outposts of my field of labor. My salary the first year was forty dollars, although it was not quite a full year. My second year I was appointed to Findlay mission; I had given to me two appointments to start with; I increased my appointments to about one dozen; it was a year of great success. During that year I received into church fellowship about one hundred and sixty members; a revival spirit continued the whole year. I held one camp- meeting that year at which there were between forty and fifty conversions. There were wonderful demonstrations of God's power manifested during the meeting; many fell to the earth and lay for hours as dead, and when raised from that state they generally shouted "glory." This manner of demonstration was very general during that meeting. Surely God was there to kill and make alive. There was one circumstance transpired during that camp meeting very much like the one we read of in Mark, the ninth chapter. The conversion of Brother Galbreath was almost like that of St. Paul. Through the persuasion of his daughter he went with her to my meeting and then and there he became so powerfully convicted that on his way home he fell from his horse to the ground, where he lay for sometime. When he came to, his daughter was on her knees by his side praying for him, and holding both their horses. Surely his conversion all the way through was marvelous. I remember of forming what we then called Huron mission; it was an entire new field. The conference got up a subscription for me to the amount of thirty dollars, although I never got it all. With that encouragement I started, having no assurance of any other support, but still I had a good time; the grace of God sustained me, and I had plenty to eat, such as it was.

I remember near this place (Attica, Seneca county, Ohio), or within a few miles of there, of crossing what we then called the Swamp bridge. The people on the west side of the bridge said they would go over

the bridge to hear Long preach. There were about seventy on the bridge at once. It was built with great logs-they were all afloat and would not lie still, and some of the people got a very little wet, but on they went. They reached the place of worship, and we had a good time, as some of them, no doubt, remember well. I am not a little happy to look on some of those faces at this convention. Little did I think that I would live to see a ministerial association held on my missionary ground. I will now speak of some other circumstances.

I well remember when I travelled in the Maumee country, I would pass trains of Indians near half a mile long. I recollect preaching on this side of the Maumee River and then would ford the river and preach on the west side, and when I crossed the river I would take corn in my saddle-bags to feed my horse. One place I preached at they were real old Yankees. I asked them what they thought I was? They said they could see that I was a Yankee. I just let them have it so. We did not quarrel over our pedigree, nor over what we had to eat; it all tasted good so long as it lasted. We were thankful those days if we had a little corn-bread and a little venison. There was a difference between those days and the present. Oh, Lord, bring back some of the old kindred feelings that used to characterize this church. In those days there were but few bridges across the rivers in this country. When on my first mission in Hancock county I had to cross the Auglaize River some nine times; my mission was so assigned that I could not do otherwise. I often would swim my horse across the river. I recollect of one time at-tempting to cross on the ice, to go to my quarterly meeting Rev. Z. Crom was my presiding elder, and my mission was his district. In those days we had local presiding elders; they would have one, two, three, or four circuits to preside over. I was the first man that spoke out in the conference in answer to the bishop when the question was asked, "Will you have local or traveling presiding elders?" I said travelling, and it raised a commotion for a little while, but it subsided. My elder and I, in crossing the Auglaize River, near the mouth of Riley Creek-it was in the spring of the year, and the ice was then very rotten. The elder's horse being the smallest I told him to cross first. He got across all right. 1 took off my saddle and saddle- bags, took my horse by the bridle and started, and when I got near the middle of the river the ice broke and my horse went under all but his head. I kept ahead of the horse; the bridle pulled off, and when I caught hold of the halter he made a number of springs. He finally succeeded in getting nearer the shore, and the ice bore him up. I then led him to the shore, put my saddle on him, and, having but about two miles to go to the appointment, I went those two miles in pretty quick time. My horse came out all right,

I recollect another circumstance in going from El-

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more to the lake. The first four miles (all the way forest) brought me to Tousaint Creek. It being high I swam my horse across. I then had eight or ten miles yet through the woods to the lake. When I came to the prairie I came into a French settlement. It was so fenced up that there was no way getting through without going through the field or through Turtle Marsh. I called at a house. A French woman came out and muttered her French and motioned across the marsh. I started across, but had not gone more than one rod when my horse fell over some timbers of some kind. I slid off from my horse into the marsh, held on to the bridle, and got out on the same side. I think it was a little different from the Slough of Despond that Bunyan speaks of. I know the Lord did not want me to go through Turtle Marsh. The citizens told me that some French ponies bad gone through, but an English horse could not. By that time a boy came there. I told him I wanted to go through the field. He opened the fence and let me through. I asked him if they had any meeting in their place. He said they had. I wanted to know who preached for them. He said the priest. I asked no more questions-I conjectured the rest. It was enough; the Lord delivered me out of Turtle Marsh.

Well, you see something of the trials of one of the old itinerants of Sandusky conference. I recollect when my circuit led through Wood county, at one time I came to the Portage River, near New Rochester; the river was very high. It extended all over the bottom about forty rods. The water had taken away part of the bridge. The middle bent and the one that extended to the shore on the east side was all that was left. Heavy timbers being laid on the bridge held those two bents and stringers together. I first got on the bridge and tried its strength. I then led my horse on the first part; then he had to jump down about two feet on the middle part of the bridge. I then led him to the end of that part, then made him jump into the water. It was about mid-sides to my horse. He then was so far from me that I jumped into the water and waded a few rods. I saw a stump extended above the water. I got onto the stump and then onto my horse, and after riding twenty or thirty rods my horse had to swim the rest of the way, Whenever I started for the west branch of Portage I had about one-half a mile from the river to the main woods. Before I got to the woods I heard a wonderful noise. I could not tell what it was till all at once a terrible storm broke upon me.

The timbers or trees fell all around me. I turned my horse and ran him back to the river, jumping him over the timber that fell. By that time the storm had passed over. I then again went on my way. When I came to the west branch of Portage I kept up the river, diet not cross it. When I came within one-half mile of Brother Crum's the water again extended over the road so that my horse had to swim. When over or through the water I then got down into my stirrups and commenced singing, and sang all the way till I reached the house, and felt fine to preach for them at night-just as happy as I well could be. God said: "My grace is sufficient. As thy day is so shall thy grace be."

Let me state one more recollection. Well do I remember crossing what was known as the Lance bridge, a little west of Carey. My appointment was at Father Shoup's. The bridge across the prairie was one mile long, and there had been heavy rains, and on the south end of the bridge the freshet had taken away about two rods of the bridge. The rails had been laid tight one against another on the sod. At this place loose rails had been laid for people to walk over, about fifteen or twenty inches apart. It looked rather dangerous; there was no water there, yet I knew not what a wonderful place it was. I took off my saddle and knelt down and implored God to help me as on other occasions. 1 took my horse by the bridle, intending to lead him by the side of the loose rails, and as I started and stepped quick, intending the horse to walk by the side of the rails, he at once sprang upon the rails and followed me over; I returned my grateful thanks to the Lord. I then walked back and got my saddle, and got upon my horse, and went to my appointment. They asked me what way I came. I told them. They were alarmed when I told them how I crossed the prairie, knowing that some of the bridge was gone, that scattering loose rails were laid for people to walk over. A pole could be run down twenty feet anywhere near that place. So I was convinced the Lord safely led roe through. Now, my dear brethren, I have just noted down a little of the travels of an early itinerant. Those days were days of grace, and not days of money or high salaries. Those days were days of grace and glory; many loud hallelujahs went up to God. Those days were days of love to God and love toward each other; no sparring, no trying to excel. The glory of God and the salvation of the world was the grand theme.

GREEN CREEK,

G REEN CREEK township embraces an area six miles square, bounded on the north by Riley, on the east by York, on the south by Seneca county, and on the west by Ballville. The surface is more undulating than any other part of the county, except in the immediate vicinity of the river in Ballville township. Three well defined sand ridges Ingle through the township in a northeast and southwest direction. The roads on the summit of these ridges are the oldest, the ridges being followed on account of their dryness. These roads in dry weather become almost impassable for heavily freighted wagons, as the wheels sink in the sand to the depth of six inches, causing resistance almost as great as clay mud in spring time. These roads are always best just after a dashing rain.

The township is drained by three creeks of considerable size, all flowing the whole length of the territory from south to north. Farthest east is Raccoon Creek, which passes through the village of Clyde. Through the centre flows South Creek, which rises in this township. The stream of greatest size is Green Creek, the two branches of which meet about one mile and a half from the Seneca county line. The west branch rises in Seneca county, its source being a spring which discharges about six hundred cubic feet of water per minute. The spring which gives rise to the east branch is the most celebrated place in the county.

GREEN SPRING.

One-half mile north of the Seneca county line is a beautiful valley shaded by

young forest trees, near the centre of which is a spring of rare interest, whether aesthetically or scientifically considered A river of water forces itself through a fissure in the rock-bed fifty feet below the surface and overflows from a great well ten feet in circumference, and reaching to the depth of eighteen feet without an obstruction, at the rate of more than two barrels per second. The water is strongly saturated with sulphur and mineral solutions which stain every substance coming in contact with it, a rich green, varying in shade under the influence of light. No-where in nature is to be seen a more gorgeous display of coloring than in this well on a clear morning when the angling rays of the sun, reflected by the rising current of clear liquid, give to every object an appearance of moving and gorgeously colored forms.

That the Indian has an appreciation of the beautiful in nature is shown by the historical connections of the place. The surrounding grove was once an Indian clearing and at the same time a place of resort and amusement. Here the chiefs met for consultation and mingled with the sulphurous odors of the waters the smoke of cannakanick, arrow wood and tobacco.

The Senecas, whose reservation included the spring, knew well the medicinal prop- erties of the water, and were familiar with its uses. There are many traditional stories connected with the departure of these Indians and the springs. They are of little historic value, being probably poetic inventions. One of these generally

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accredited is, that a council of chiefs ordered that the spring should be forever destroyed before their unwilling departure for the unknown regions of the West. Logs were cut and thrown into the well lengthwise, brushes, earth and stones were piled upon them, and the channel thus closed. But the force of the ascending current was irresistible; water would plow its way through the interstices which greatly enraged the Indians. A celebrated chief damned the water, and to emphasize the curse which he had pronounced, placed the muzzle of his heavily charged musket in the stubborn stream, and fired, but the barrel burst, which indicated the disapprobation of the Great Spirit, and no further attempts to destroy this healer of man's infirmities were made by the red men.

The water has been known to possess healing properties ever since the first settlement of the country. Year by year the number who came to receive its benefits, increased, until better accommodations became desirable. In the summer of 1868 Robert Smith, the owner of the property, organized a stock company for the improvement of the grounds and the erection of suitable buildings. Having had the water analyzed, the company became sanguine of being able to build up a great health institution. A large hotel and water cure building was erected, and has been open for the reception of patients and visitors since that time. The company is largely indebted to Dr. Sprague, who, by efficient management, gave the institution a full share of its well deserved popularity.

From the spring a stream capable of turning a large mill, flows through a beauti- ful glen. The water at several places in Green Creek township contains mineral solutions, but nowhere in such per tentage as at Green Spring. Fish come up Green Creek to within about four miles of its

source. The bay near the mouth of Green Creek is filled with bass and other fish, but they are unable to live in sulphur water, except very small solution.

THE SENECAS.

Considerable attention is given this tribe of Indians, or more properly, collection of tribes, in the chapter relating to Ballville, and also in the general history in the fore part of this volume. But as their new council house stood within the present boundaries of this township, and consequently in later years the seat of empire changed, it is proper that something should be said in this connection descriptive of the habits and life of these semi-barbarians.

They had been driven from their native homes in New York, corrupted by contact with the border settlements, and as we find them in this county from 1818 to 1831, confined to a comparatively small tract of forty thousand acres. The general description which we here present is based upon an interview with judge Hugh Welsh, of Seneca county, who knew these people well. He, in fact, was one among them. It will be seen that the distance between the red-skin and the white-skin was not so great as is commonly supposed.

The members of the several tribes- Wyandots, Mohawks, Oneidas, and Senecas -did not speak a language sufficiently uniform in vocabulary to carry on common conversation. They, however, made each other understand their simple wants. Their vocabularies were very different. The Wyandots called tobacco "hamahmah," the Senecas and Mohawks, "mah." The Mohawks called a knife "winnasrah," accenting the last syllable, while the Senecas accented next to the last.

Quite a number of the Indians had shanties built of twelve foot poles, notched at the corners like a corn crib, and covered with bark. The roof, was also made

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of bark weighted down with poles. They lived in these huts winter and summer, except when hunting. They frequently made expeditions to trap, hunt, and make sugar. There was more game here than further west where there were more Indians. There were plenty of deer, bear, and wolves. There never were any beaver in this vicinity. Venison was the staple food, but in winter, while the deer were poor in consequence of snow on the ground, raccoons, turkeys, etc., were used for food instead of venison. Indians are born strategists as well as hunters. Close observation and native ingenuity enabled them to invent calls by which deer and turkeys were enticed almost within reach. Turkeys were called by hiding behind a log and sucking air through the bone of a turkey wing. In this way a sound was made identical with that of a tame turkey hen. The deer call was made by blowing through a hollow piece of wood with one end stopped up and a hole cut in at the side, over which was fastened a piece of metal. The sound was like that of a young fawn bleating ma-aa-a.

These Indians had a great many ponies, almost every man owning one. Many of the squaws were also expert riders. The only grain they cultivated was corn, which they raised in little patches. The corn raised on a quarter of an acre would keep two or three individuals in that article a whole winter. Several methods were employed for preparing corn, but the common practice was to boil the grain whole, the hull having been removed with lye. There was, however, variety in the manner of serving their plain fare. The corn was sometimes pounded to a meal and sifted through a skin with holes punched in it. The meal was baked into bread, and the coarser pieces remaining in the sieve were made into hominy. The pounding was done in a mortar made by cutting a tree

off square and cutting or burning out the centre. The pestle was a hard piece of iron- wood, made round at both ends. The squaws did the pounding as well as cooking. Meat was usually boiled with the corn. A peculiarity of their eating was that only one article was eaten at a time. They never mixed different kinds of food in their mouths.

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History of Sandusky County Ohio with Illustrations 1882, Part 91

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